UNIVERSAL GLOW
Get fresh, wet, and wild with cool gloss and dewy skin this summer. By Anne Lee.
As we enter the height of summer, the season calls for a lighter, more invigorating mood. On the Spring/Summer ’18 runways, the tonic qualities of water were articulated through a variety of looks—wet, glossy lids and slicked-back hair to look like one had just emerged from the sea, with deliciously glazed skin.
FRESH OUT OF WATER
Chanel, known to have the most mesmerising sets during fashion week, had its models walk down the mystical waterfall set at the Grand Palais in Paris, decked out in clear PVC boots, plastic rain hats, and light-as-air garments. To mirror the collection, hair maestro Sam McKnight covered the low ponytails with perspex, coining them the “Perspex Ponies”. As if just returning from a boat tour at the Niagara Falls, hair looked as if they were dampen by sprays and bursts from the waterfall.
At Marni, models sported texturised, finger-combed hair that were kept super wet and uber-shiny. It’s a punky take on the ’50s, according to hairstylist Duffy, but “it’s [neither] Teddy Boy [nor] rockabilly”. Hair at the back was secured with ample strong mousse and spray; as for the front, a high-shine gel was swept on damp hair from the roots through the locks. To hold everything in place, a layer of hairspray was misted atop before the gel dried.
BRIGHT EYES
The prime glossy look wasn’t limited to the locks. Sexy, luminescent lids opened New York Fashion Week and was the beauty highlight at Prabal Gurung’s show. Make-up artist Diane Kendal lightly dabbed MAC Cosmetics Clear Lipglass with her fingertips onto eyelids, beginning from the eyelash towards the brows. “It’s as if they’ve been out in the sea,” Kendal commented. Nothing spells “fresh” better than a pair of clean, dewy lids, and thank gloss for that.
To add depth to the eyes, renowned make-up artist Val Garland suggests swiping on a teabag shade—think of the colour between chestnut and orange—before finishing the look with gloss. “What’s nice about it is that it works with shades that already exist in your hair and skin, so it feels very real.” It also happened to be one of her favourite looks for Spring/Summer ’18, so take cue from Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, and give your eyes a wash of colour that says, “I’m alive and glowing”.
HIGH GLOSS
The focus on skin fell on natural hydration and high-shine glaze, dubbed “glass skin”. “It’s the next generation of highlight,” said make-up artist-tothe-stars James Kaliardos backstage at Baja East. “It’s not just a highlight, it’s glossy.”
Understated yet sophisticated, the trick is in balancing highlighter and moisturiser, as seen at Alexander McQueen, Alberta Ferretti, and Etro. Set aside over-illuminated skin, and make way for naturally glossy-looking skin. Garland’s pro tip: Apply the highlighter on your face as you would normally do and buff out. Then, with a patting motion, tap in the serum or moisturiser into your skin, et voila! Fresh-off-the-runway vibes.